I’ve been hanging onto this post idea for a few weeks, but haven’t gotten around to talking about it. Since my schedule was already messed up by my Dan Brown detour last week, I decided it was time to dust off the cobwebs and talk about podcasts.

After a break-up, I lost access to music because I shared an account. I remembered back in high school, I had listened to a Gilmore Girls podcast after the episodes and walk on the treadmill. I was completely unaware of Serial and the recent resurgence, but decided to find that podcast.

Over 100 podcasts, 97 days and 10 hours (according to my podcast app) later, I am hooked. I love podcasts. Not only do I listen to stories from imaginative creators, but I get news, book and televisions reviews, and history. I’ve also found a new passion (criminal justice reform), met people, and shared my love for podcast with others who want to know where to start. If you have a topic you want to learn more about, there’s probably a podcast about it.

It’s not surprising that people who write scripts for internet radio are also authors. There will probably be many posts on podcasts and books written by hosts because I’m picking up new podcasts to listen to all the time. Even this weekend I heard about a podcast on Saturday and finished it by Sunday. It was only six episodes, but still!

If you listened to Serial, you’re probably aware of who Adnan Syed is. He’s the one who Sarah Koenig talked to for a year before giving a lukewarm ending to the podcast on his guilt or innocence. If you’re a super fan of true crime podcasting, you’re likely to hear Adnan’s name next to Rabia Chaudry.

Rabia had case files in her car for over a decade before deciding to reach out to Sarah. Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial is about the journey from before the crime occurred to the trial, the appeals, Serial, and eventually how Rabia’s podcast Undisclosed begun. I love the lawyers of Undisclosed. They all have their unique perspectives and personalities. As someone who wanted to go to law school, I enjoy listening to lawyers talk about criminal justice reform and true crime cases. This book gives a deluge of information that was left out of Serial and even more content than the episodes of Undisclosed. I would only recommend this book to someone who’s listened to Serial at the very least.

I was recommended this podcast when I told a coworker I needed to pause my podcast before we talked. I binge listened to it for a few weeks afterwards telling anyone who would listening that I couldn’t believe what was happening in Night Vale. Today, I usually stack episodes for as long as I can so I can learn what happens next as soon as possible.

All I have to say about this book is this: get the audiobook. It’s like a really long podcast episode. Cecil Baldwin and the cast of fun Night Vale voice actors bring the book to life.

BONUS RECOMMENDATION!

I couldn’t finish this blog post without talking about LeVar Burton Reads. Don’t know who LeVar Burton is? You probably should if you’re here. He was That Guy from Reading Rainbow for over 20 years. Are you nostalgic for those days?

Good news! LeVar Burton has joined the podcast universe with LeVar Burton reads. He loves short stories! From many genres! He reads his favorites! What more could you want? It’s awesome and I love listening to someone read great stories when I’m driving home from work.

I hope everyone is having a great start to their week and I hope it is full of great books.